This application is to seek funding for the 2003 Kern Aspen Lipid Conference, to be held in Aspen, CO, on August 16-19, 2003. The title of the conference is "Integrative Mechanisms of Lipid Metabolism". The goal of this meeting will be to provide attendees the opportunity to learn about the state-of-the-art findings across broad areas of lipid metabolism that extend beyond any one single research area. Cross fertilization of lipid research with ideas from a variety of approaches should be educational to all, and may promote new research initiatives. Accordingly, three co chairs for this year's meeting were selected, all of whom have different backgrounds. Dr. Lawrence Rudel is a member of the board of directors and is an expert in lipoprotein metabolism and cholesterol transport. Dr. Robert Farese, Jr. is an expert in triacylglycerol and fatty acid metabolism and has developed numerous animal models of acylglyceride metabolism. Dr. Joachim Herz is an expert in studies of the central nervous system, where he has pioneered identification and functional evaluation of several cell surface receptors that are required for normal brain development and function. A fourth session will cover transcription factors and genetics associated with the metabolic syndrome, and this session will be led by Dr. Christopher Glass. The conference is organized to bring together investigators in divergent fields in lipid research with the goal to foster further insights into the pathogenesis of diseases involving lipid metabolism including atherosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity. Although some of the proposed subjects may be covered at other specialized meetings, we are unaware of a single conference, which includes the diversity of the various fields assembled to exchange new advances in lipid metabolism across such a wide ranging arena. The timeliness of this meeting is viewed as a strength.